The Courageous Leaders Podcast

Joanna Howes
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The Courageous Leaders Podcast aims to inspire leaders to step into their courageous zone, be the leader they know they can be and discover the mindset skills and behaviours to take their leadership to the next level.  So listen in, get inspired on how you can grow your leadership impact. Leave a legacy you can be proud of, and build an environment for future leaders to thrive.  Who is Joanna Howes? Joanna Howes is an award-winning international coach, behavioural expert, specialising in leadership and performance coaching and No 1 best selling international co-author.  Her focus is to help individuals and teams activate their full potential, so they can step into their courageous zone to maximise their influence, build their resilience and take the action needed to become high performers and future-ready leaders. Joanna is a unique phenomenon within her industry, with over 20 years’ experience working internationally with some of the world's most awarded advertising agencies and leading them to operational and leadership success. Her blend of both innovative operational and transformative change solutions empowers organisations to create environments that are supportive and fearless for their employees.  Website: https://thechangecreators.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@courageousleaderspodcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/the.changecreators/Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/courageous_leaders/ Newsletter: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

  1. Jul 23

    5 Bad Leadership Behaviours Every Leader Should Avoid

    What are the bad leadership habits that quietly hold a team back? In this solo episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I share the five leadership behaviours driving me crazy right now, and what to do instead if you want to lead well over the next few years. Consider it a rant with a purpose. From leaders who struggle to manage stress to the ones avoiding hard conversations, burning out and calling it “high performance,” or making everything about themselves, I break down why each habit damages a team and the honest shift each one needs. If you lead people, this is a wake-up call worth five minutes. What We Cover: 00:00 The five leadership behaviours driving me crazy 00:06 No self-management: reacting and offloading stress onto your team 01:01 Avoiding difficult conversations (and the time it wastes) 01:33 Not looking after yourself, and what “high performance” really means 02:42 Getting a coach but doing none of the work 03:32 Being too self-focused, and why that isn’t leadership 04:08 Why leadership needs empathy and compassion 04:20 Leadership takes daily effort, not just a title 👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ 🚀 Elevate Your Leadership: Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching: Website: https://thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/  → Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice.  👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

    5 Bad Leadership Behaviours Every Leader Should Avoid

  2. Jul 9

    Is Ruthlessness the Price of Reaching the Top? | A Leaders' Panel Discussion

    What’s the one toxic leadership behaviour you’d banish forever? In this special Leadership Room 101 episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, three industry leaders each argue to banish one leadership behaviour for good: busyness, fear-based leadership, or pay-to-play culture. I’m joined by Katy Wright (Chief Client & Business Officer, AMV BBDO), Sergio Lopez Ferrero (Global CEO, Omnicom Production), and Sachini Imbuldeniya (Co-Founder & CEO, House of Oddities). Each leader gets around ten minutes to make their case, and at the end I pick just one to send into Room 101. The debate is honest, funny, and at times a little controversial, and each argument says something real about how leadership and the creative industry work today. What We Cover: 00:00 Trailer 00:50 The Leadership Room 101 concept, and meet the three leaders 01:50 Katy's nomination: Busyness as a badge of honour 06:20 Is being "busy" really pride, or is it fear? 10:20 The fear of not looking busy enough 12:50 The link between rest, sleep, and real creativity 19:50 Sergio's nomination: Fear-based leadership 21:50 Why blaming an unnamed "head office" erodes trust 24:50 Can a little fear actually be healthy in leadership? 27:20 Why "alpha" leadership is over, and vulnerability is rising 27:50 The uncomfortable debate: do CEOs have psychopathic tendencies? 40:50 Sachini's nomination: Why pay-to-play is rigging the industry 45:50 Awards and access: is success bought or earned? 47:50 How pay-to-play shuts out great creative work 48:50 My verdict: which behaviour goes into Leadership Room 101 Key Leadership Insights: Why “busy” has become a status symbol, and what it often hides How to hear what your team are really telling you when they say they’re busy Why a small amount of healthy fear can sharpen accountability Why vulnerability now makes leaders more followable, not less How pay-to-play systems in awards and pitching hold the industry back Why fixing fairness at the top can change a whole company culture Part debate, part masterclass, and a lot of fun. By the end you’ll be deciding which leadership behaviour you’d banish too. 👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ 🚀 Elevate Your Leadership: Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching: Website: https://thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/  → Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice.  👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

    Is Ruthlessness the Price of Reaching the Top? | A Leaders' Panel Discussion

  3. Jun 25

    Why It's Okay to Upset People When You Lead | Joanna Howes

    Why is avoidance the biggest killer of performance in teams?  In this solo episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I explain why it’s okay to upset people, and why giving honest feedback without fear is a skill every leader needs. Most leaders tiptoe around their teams, scared of upsetting someone. But avoiding hard conversations doesn’t protect people, it holds them back. I share why we waste so much energy “mind reading” how others will react, how that robs them of the chance to grow, and how to deliver tough feedback while staying calm, present, and human, even when someone gets upset. What We Cover: 00:00 Why it's okay to upset people 00:40 You can't control how someone reacts (the "mind reading" trap) 01:30 Why avoiding it is really about protecting yourself 02:00 My personal story: the feedback that changed everything 02:55 How to give feedback without it feeling like an attack 03:25 How to stay present when someone cries or gets angry 04:19 Why backtracking is the worst thing you can do 04:38 Show up for them, even when it's uncomfortable 👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ 🚀 Elevate Your Leadership: Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching: Website: https://thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/  → Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice.  👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

    Why It's Okay to Upset People When You Lead | Joanna Howes

  4. Jun 11

    Esther Marshall on Grief, High Achievement, Emotional Resilience & Holding It All Together

    Some people don’t just achieve, they achieve as though their life depends on it. In this deeply honest episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I sit down with Esther Marshall, former global gender diversity leader at Unilever and founder of Sophie Says, to ask a question so many of us avoid: who are you when achievement isn’t enough? This is a conversation about grief, high achievement, emotional resilience, and the pressure of holding everything together when life refuses to cooperate. Esther shares her story with extraordinary openness: losing her sister Rebecca to suicide, caring for grandparents through Alzheimer’s, a miscarriage during IVF, and losing her mother to pancreatic cancer, all while building a business and refusing to stop proving herself. It is also the story of the breakthrough that finally let her stop failing quietly and start succeeding loudly. If you have ever tied your worth to what you achieve, this one will stay with you. If you or someone you know is affected by anything discussed in this episode, you can contact Samaritans free, 24/7, on 116 123 or at samaritans.org. What We Cover: 00:00 Intro 01:30 Why "High Achiever" Can Tip Into "Never Enough" 04:41 Climbing the Ladder at Unilever, and Being "Hard to Manage" 10:14 Leading a Team When Your Standards Are Sky High 11:37 The Maternity Leave Project That Became Sophie Says 14:29 Losing Rebecca to Suicide 16:34 The Book Written the Night She Passed Away 20:21 The Rainbow, and Learning to Let People In 21:29 Carrying a Legacy, and the Weight That Comes With It 23:08 Alzheimer's, and Grief That Wouldn't Stop 24:18 IVF, Miscarriage, and Learning to Keep Going 25:48 The "Miracle" Baby, and a Mother's Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis 30:13 Why She Chose to Run a Marathon the Day Her Mum Died 34:52 The Therapy Breakthrough That Changed Everything 38:46 "I'm Failing Quietly, but I Want to Succeed Loudly" 41:00 Building Sophie Says Into a Movement for Generational Change 48:53 Learning to Walk Before Running Again 50:13 A Message for Anyone Sitting in Fear, Ready to Begin 51:40 What Courage Really Means to Esther Key Reflections: • Why high achievement can quietly become a form of self-harm • Why grief isn't something you "get over," and why returning to normal too quickly often makes healing harder • How to separate your self-worth from your achievements and results • Why asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness • How changing the way you frame a failure can completely reshape your life • Why children need emotionally safe parents, not perfect ones Esther’s honesty is a reminder that courage isn’t the absence of pain, it’s getting up and showing up through it. If this episode moves you, I’d love to hear your biggest takeaway in the comments. Find out more about Sophie Says: https://www.sophiesaysofficial.com/ Follow Esther Masrshall: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiesaysofficial/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegrievingfounder 👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ 🚀 Elevate Your Leadership: Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching: Website: https://thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/  → Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice.  👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

    Esther Marshall on Grief, High Achievement, Emotional Resilience & Holding It All Together

  5. Jun 4

    Why a ‘C’ in your Title Doesn’t Automatically Make You an Executive Leader | Leadership Coach Joanna Howes

    Why are so many executive teams underperforming? In this solo episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I break down the biggest leadership mistakes I see inside executive teams today, from social loafing and siloed thinking to oversized leadership teams and “Game of Thrones” behaviour at the top of organisations. I explore why executive leadership is about far more than titles, why leadership teams must operate collectively instead of protecting departments, and why CEOs need the courage to reshape teams when they are no longer serving the business. If your leadership team feels political, disconnected, slow, or overly comfortable, this episode will challenge how you think about executive leadership. What We Cover: 00:00 – Why executive teams lose effectiveness 00:52 – Why titles do not equal executive leadership 01:24 – The danger of oversized executive teams 02:24 – Executive teams acting like working groups 02:42 – “Game of Thrones” leadership behaviour explained 03:07 – Why the executive team must become the first team 03:52 – Why CEOs need the courage to challenge comfort Key Leadership Insights • Executive teams shape what becomes acceptable in company culture • Leadership titles do not automatically create leadership capability • High-performing executive teams think collectively, not territorially • Oversized leadership teams slow down decision-making and accountability • CEOs must be willing to challenge comfort and restructure leadership teams • The behaviour at the top becomes the standard for the entire company Reflection Questions for Leaders • Is my executive team truly operating as one team? • Where are politics or silos damaging decision-making? • Have titles become more important than impact? • What difficult leadership change am I avoiding right now? 🎧 Listen to the full episode for the best practical leadership coaching: https://thecourageousleaderspodcast.buzzsprout.com/ 🚀 Ready to elevate your team and leadership? Book time for transformative coaching and training: Website: https://www.thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/ 👍 Stay inspired – subscribe, leave a comment, and help us build a community of courageous leaders across the UK. → Want honest leadership insights in your inbox? 👉 Sign up to the newsletter: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54 #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipTeam #CompanyCulture #CEO #CourageousLeaders 👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ 🚀 Elevate Your Leadership: Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching: Website: https://thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/  → Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice.  👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

    Why a ‘C’ in your Title Doesn’t Automatically Make You an Executive Leader | Leadership Coach Joanna Howes

  6. May 21

    Rory Sutherland on Leadership, Courage & Unconventional Thinking

    We often hear the ideas of great thinkers, but rarely get to understand how they actually think or who they are as people. In this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I am joined by Rory Sutherland, President Emeritus of Ogilvy UK, best-selling author, and one of the most influential voices in advertising, behavioural science, and decision-making. If you’ve ever wondered why some ideas take off and others die fast, why the little things in business matter more than you think, or how to rethink productivity for your team, you’ll find something practical and eye-opening in this conversation. We cut through business theory and get honest about human behaviour, team culture, and leadership decisions that work in the real world. You’ll come away with new ways to look at decision-making, organisational performance, and what it takes to lead bravely in uncertain times, especially with the rise of AI, complexity, and shifting workplace cultures. What We Cover: 00:00 Intro 01:41 Dare to Be Trivial: Why Small Things Matter 13:23 Leadership, Influence & The Power of Great Teachers 14:50 Why Business Is Learned Through Real Experience 18:03 Time, Stress & How Rory Thinks About Control 24:12 Creativity, Uncertainty & Not Knowing Yet 28:00 What Leaders Miss in Strategy & Collective Thinking 30:17 Why Human Businesses May Win in an AI World 34:51 Why Teams Fail & The Problem with Over-Measuring 35:45 The Disappearance of PAs & What It Means for Leaders 36:55 Redundancies & The Danger of Short-Term Thinking 40:34 How Rory’s Mind Works & Why He Avoids Talking About Himself 49:45 The Influence of His Mum & Understanding Human Behaviour 51:22 Neurodiversity Is a Feature, Not a Bug 54:24 Final Reflections & Closing Thoughts Key Leadership Insights • Why great leaders focus on influence, not control • How creativity comes from being comfortable with uncertainty • Why measuring individuals destroys team performance • The hidden cost of short-term thinking in leadership • How silos quietly break organisations from within • Why neurodiversity is a competitive advantage, not a weakness • The courage required to back ideas others doubt • Why founder-led businesses often outperform corporates If you want to lead better, think differently, and understand how great leaders actually operate, this episode will challenge how you see leadership. 👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ 🚀 Elevate Your Leadership: Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching: Website: https://thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/  → Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice.  👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

    Rory Sutherland on Leadership, Courage & Unconventional Thinking

  7. May 14

    The Challenge & Care Framework for Better Leadership & Culture | Leadership Coach Joanna Howes

    Is your company culture too nice to perform? In this solo episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I break down the Challenge & Care Framework and why many teams are stuck in cultures that feel good on the surface but quietly damage standards, accountability, and results. I explore the four zones every workplace can fall into: apathy, comfort, fear, and courage, and how the best teams combine high care with high challenge. Because great leadership is not about being nice or being tough. It is about creating an environment where people feel supported, challenged, and clear on what excellence looks like. If your team avoids hard conversations, lacks accountability, or feels stuck, this episode will help you identify why and what to change next. What We Cover: 00:00 – Is your culture too nice to perform? 00:23 – The Challenge & Care Framework explained 00:33 – The Apathy Zone: low care, low challenge 00:50 – The Comfort Zone: high care, low challenge 01:46 – The Fear Zone: high challenge, low care 02:24 – The Courage Zone: where high performance lives 02:58 – What true high performance actually means 03:31 – Compassionate feedback as the key skill 03:44 – Start with your leadership team first 04:04 – Your current zone explains your results Reflection Questions for Leaders • Where am I over-helping instead of empowering? • What am I still controlling that I should let go? • Which conversation am I avoiding right now? • Where have I been indirect instead of honest? 👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ 🚀 Elevate Your Leadership: Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching: Website: https://thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/  → Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice.  👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

    The Challenge & Care Framework for Better Leadership & Culture | Leadership Coach Joanna Howes

  8. May 7

    Why We Need to Talk About Death, Sex & Money More Than Ever | Charlotte Pearce

    Why do we avoid talking about sex, death, and money when they shape so much of our lives? In this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I am joined by Charlotte Pearce, an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and CEO & Founder of Inkpact, who is reinventing direct mail into a future-facing medium rooted in human connection and behavioural science. From leading 150 people at just 19 to building a business through uncertainty, motherhood, loss, and reinvention, Charlotte’s journey is a powerful lesson in leadership and life. In this conversation, we explore growth, confidence, self-expression, and why even the strongest leaders need support. Her story is one of resilience, courage, and turning life’s biggest challenges into opportunities for growth. We Cover: 00:00 – Introduction 01:00 – Charlotte’s early influences and entrepreneurial mindset 05:20 – Leading 150 people at 19 years old 09:00 – Building Inkpact and creating a new category 10:30 – Leadership lessons, humility, and evolving as a founder 12:00 – Why every leader needs coaches, mentors, and support 13:50 – Crisis year: motherhood, business pressure, and cashflow stress 16:00 – Family loss, grief, and holding everything together 20:20 – Why we need to talk more about death 21:30 – Why sex, money, and hard conversations matter 24:40 – Sexuality, confidence, and female self-expression 28:50 – Money mindset, ambition, and owning success 32:30 – The surrender experiment and letting go of control 36:00 – Burnout, stress, and protecting your energy 39:00 – Comparison, identity, and success on your own terms 45:00 – Courage to be yourself and change direction 48:00 – Letting go, having fun again, and final reflections If you are navigating change, building something meaningful, or ready to stop shrinking yourself, this conversation will stay with you. 👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ 🚀 Elevate Your Leadership: Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching: Website: https://thechangecreators.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/  → Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice.  👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

    Why We Need to Talk About Death, Sex & Money More Than Ever | Charlotte Pearce
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About

The Courageous Leaders Podcast aims to inspire leaders to step into their courageous zone, be the leader they know they can be and discover the mindset skills and behaviours to take their leadership to the next level.  So listen in, get inspired on how you can grow your leadership impact. Leave a legacy you can be proud of, and build an environment for future leaders to thrive.  Who is Joanna Howes? Joanna Howes is an award-winning international coach, behavioural expert, specialising in leadership and performance coaching and No 1 best selling international co-author.  Her focus is to help individuals and teams activate their full potential, so they can step into their courageous zone to maximise their influence, build their resilience and take the action needed to become high performers and future-ready leaders. Joanna is a unique phenomenon within her industry, with over 20 years’ experience working internationally with some of the world's most awarded advertising agencies and leading them to operational and leadership success. Her blend of both innovative operational and transformative change solutions empowers organisations to create environments that are supportive and fearless for their employees.  Website: https://thechangecreators.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@courageousleaderspodcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/the.changecreators/Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/courageous_leaders/ Newsletter: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54

Information

  • Creator
    Joanna Howes
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    227
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Courageous Leaders Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Courageous Leaders Podcast